Residents of Sydney’s eastern suburbs are installing extra closed-circuit cameras and forming community groups that watch over schools and other centres around the clock, as they take upgraded security into their own hands in response to a wave of antisemitic attacks.

“They’re targeting anyone in the eastern suburbs because there’s a high percentage of Jews here. It’s random, but they’re still sending a message of hate so no one is safe,” said Michael Gerondis, a former NSW Police fraud squad inspector who’s fuming about the hit-and-run hate acts.